Blue shark. Blue shark - description and photos

This species is more typical for subtropical and warm temperate waters than for the tropical zone.

area

The blue shark has probably the widest range of any cartilaginous fish, being found almost everywhere in temperate and tropical waters. Lives at depths from 0 to 350 meters. In temperate seas, blue sharks move closer to the shore where they can be observed by divers, while in tropical waters they prefer to stay at greater depths. The range of blue sharks extends from Norway in the north to Chile in the south. Blue sharks are found off the coast of all continents except Antarctica. The greatest concentration of sharks of this species in the Pacific Ocean is observed between 20 ° and 50 ° north latitude, but the number is subject to strong seasonal fluctuations. In the tropics, these sharks are evenly distributed between 20°N. sh. and 20°S sh. They prefer a temperature range of 7-16°C, but can withstand temperatures of 21°C and above. There is evidence of regular migrations in Atlantic waters occurring in a clockwise direction within the prevailing currents. One individual, tagged in New Zealand waters, was recaptured off the coast of Chile, where she sailed after covering a distance of about 1200 km.

Description

The blue shark has an elongated slender body with long pectoral fins. The color of the body is blue on top, it becomes lighter on the sides, the belly is white. Blue sharks reach 3.8 meters in length and weigh 204 kilograms. The maximum recorded weight was 391 kg. The first dorsal fin originates at the caudal edge of the pectoral fins. There is no ridge between the dorsal fins. At the base of the tail there are small growths.

The teeth are triangular, oblique, with serrations, but without lateral denticles. The lower ones differ significantly from the upper ones: they are less massive and not always serrated.

Biology

Typically, the blue shark preys on bony fish, shellfish such as squid, cuttlefish and octopus, and crustaceans. Also included in its diet are small sharks, mammal carcasses, and occasionally seabirds. Whale and porpoise remains have been found in the stomachs of captured blue sharks. Blue sharks have been known to eat cod that have been caught in trawl nets. They rarely hunt tuna. Adult blue sharks have no natural enemies in nature, with the exception of humans. Juveniles may fall prey to large sharks such as the great white shark and tiger shark.

reproduction

It is a viviparous species of shark that develops a placental junction between mother and embryo from the yolk sac. There are from 4 to 135 newborns in the litter, about 40 cm in size. Pregnancy lasts 9-12 months. Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 5-6 years, and males 4-5. During the prelude to mating, the male bites the female, so the sex of sharks can be easily determined by the presence or absence of scars on the back. In females, the skin on the back is 3 times thicker than in males. The maximum life expectancy is estimated at 25 years.

Human interaction

In addition, fishmeal is made from blue sharks, fins are used in soup, and vitamins are produced from liver fat. The blue shark is a coveted trophy for sport anglers for its beauty and speed.

Potentially dangerous to humans. In the list for 2011, 34 attacks of this type were recorded. Of these, 8 unprovoked attacks resulted in the death of the victim. In the autumn of 2017, a school of blue sharks attacked illegal migrants in distress off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea. At least 31 people died in this incident.

The blue shark, like most pelagic sharks, does not do well in captivity. Attempts to keep them in large diameter round aquariums and 3 meter deep pools have shown that at best the fish live less than 30 days. Like other pelagic sharks, they have difficulty avoiding tank walls and other obstacles. In one case, a blue shark was doing pretty well at an aquarium until bull sharks were added to it and killed it. A specimen placed in 2008 in an aquarium in New Jersey lived for about 7 months and died from a bacterial infection.

Notes

1. Life of animals. Volume 4. Lancelets. Cyclostomes. Cartilaginous fish. Bony fish / ed. T. S. Rassa, ch. ed. V. E. Sokolov. - 2nd ed. - M.: Enlightenment, 1983. - S. 39. - 575 p.
2. Gubanov E.P., Kondyurin V.V., Myagkov N.A. Sharks of the World Ocean: A guide. - M.: Agropromizdat, 1986. - S. 144. - 272 p.
3. Lindbergh, G. W., Gerd, A. S., Russ, T. S. Dictionary of the names of marine commercial fish of the world fauna. - Leningrad: Nauka, 1980. - S. 42. - 562 p.
4. Reshetnikov Yu. S., Kotlyar A. N., Russ T. S., Shatunovsky M. I. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Fish. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under the general editorship of acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. yaz., 1989. - S. 32. - 12,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00237-0.
5. Moiseev R. S., Tokranov A. M. and others. Catalog of vertebrates of Kamchatka and adjacent marine areas. - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: Kamchatsky printing yard, 2000. - S. 16. -

Blue shark (blue shark, great blue shark, mokoi) ( Prionace glauca) - a species of cartilaginous fish from the family of gray sharks. It is the most common on earth. It lives both near the coast and in open oceans.

Blue shark - description and photos

The blue shark has a slender, even “thin” body with elongated pectoral fins. The eyes of the blue shark are round and large, they are protected by the third eyelid, that is, the nictitating membrane. Five pairs of small gill slits are located on the sides of the head. The blue shark has a white belly, the sides and back are more blue. The maximum weight of the great blue shark is almost 400 kilograms, and in length it reaches almost 4 meters. The lower teeth differ from the upper ones, they are triangular, without lateral teeth and have a beveled shape. The blue shark is capable of holding and tearing slippery prey. The lower teeth of the fish hold the victim, and the upper ones tear off pieces.

Where does the blue (blue) shark live?

Among the cartilaginous fish, the blue shark has the largest distribution area. This shark lives in both tropical and temperate waters. Blue sharks are common in the seas of all continents except Antarctica. The Pacific Ocean has the largest number of these fish, but it varies depending on the season. The blue shark may approach the shore where it is observed by divers. In tropical waters, sharks remain at great depths.
They regularly migrate across the Atlantic and breed in circular currents.

What do blue sharks eat?

Great white and tiger sharks can attack small individuals of this species. The blue sharks themselves eat the corpses of mammals, crustaceans, bony fish, octopuses, squids and seabirds. There have been cases of attacks on humans. Blue sharks may accompany sea vessels in the hope of food.

Reproduction of blue sharks

Males have three times thinner skin than females. When the moment of foreplay before mating comes, the male bites the female partner on the back, leaving scars. To find out how many times a female shark has had mating games, just count her scars. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of 4 to 5 years, females later - at the age of 5 to 6 years. From 4 to 135 babies can be born. Sharks are born up to 40 centimeters long.

The blue shark is an oceanic species, although it can sometimes be found near the coast. Latin name Prionace glauca.

Sharks of this species have a slender and thin body, painted in the upper part in dark blue, and in the lower part in white. It lives in all oceans, but prefers subtropical and warm temperate waters rather than tropical ones. The optimum water temperature for the blue shark is 10-15°, so in the tropical zone it tries to stay at a depth.

It is assumed that the largest length of the blue shark is 3.8 m, but there are eyewitness accounts of the capture of representatives of this species, reaching a length of 6 meters.

This shark is not very mobile, however, when it sees food, it immediately changes. Its diet includes fish and cephalopods. She does not disdain any other prey that comes her way. It happens that the blue shark swims for a long time next to the ships, eating ship's garbage. This is a viviparous fish. The number of embryos can be from 4 to 54 pieces. But most of them die shortly after birth. Newborn sharks are about 30 cm long.

One day a funny thing happened. Off the coast of Western Australia, the crew of the ship "Vityaz" caught a sexually mature female. As soon as she was taken aboard and hung on a hook, she gave birth to 52 baby sharks, which were quite viable and ready to live on their own. Some of them were placed in aquariums, where they felt great.

Sharks of this species are the most famous and well-known and are listed in the Red Book. Near the coast, blue sharks appear extremely rarely, preferring to live in the open ocean. Another name for the blue shark is the whale shark. It appeared due to the fact that these sharks like to be near whalers. In the days when whales were actively hunted, these sharks literally circled around whaling ships, waiting for the whalers to throw edible pieces overboard. And in those days, when the carcasses of whales were butchered right in the water, these predators, not being afraid of the whalers' knives, attacked the whale carcass. And even if they themselves were stabbed, this did not prevent them from continuing to tear off pieces of meat from the whale.

Sharks of this species prefer calm seas, which is why they chose the north of the Adriatic Sea, the southern part of the Ionian Sea, and the Aegean Sea.
It is in the Adriatic, to be precise, that in the water area between Rimini and Punta del Maestra is a favorite breeding ground for blue sharks. In these waters, pregnant females and young sharks are often found preying on young fish. Newborn sharks prefer to eat tuna, mackerel and other types of fish.

Between May and November, almost 70% of all blue sharks gather in the region of Pescara and the mouth of the Po River, which, after this period, leave for the Adriatic Sea. This opinion was reached by the employees of the Milan Municipal Aquarium.

As already mentioned, these are rather slow creatures, but they are able, if necessary, to overcome significant distances in a relatively short time period. Some blue sharks congregate in small schools. According to some, these are very aggressive fish, attacking everything that comes their way. According to others, this is an extremely lazy fish, attacking only those who are not dangerous and even slower than they are, for example, squid or sepia.

Blue sharks do not distinguish colors, for them the whole world is black and white. But they perfectly recognize contrasts, and also perfectly orient themselves in the water. Sharks of this species easily recognize light objects on a dark background and vice versa.

The blue shark, along with the herring shark, make up a couple of the most common shark species in the world. The blue shark owes its name to its color, which was described above: a dark blue back and blue sides. It is noteworthy that blue sharks taken out of the water turn gray very soon.

Hunting the blue shark is a risky and dangerous activity. An inexperienced fisherman may not be able to cope with it.

The blue shark, like other shark species, has a spiracle or spiracle directly behind the eye, connected to the respiratory system. Just like most sharks, the blue shark does not have a swim bladder. It compensates for its absence by changing the volume of water inside itself, as well as by the fact that it is constantly in motion.

From Petr de Cril'on, this may seem like a very simple recipe to you. But cooking blue shark steak has its own distinctive features. You can see this when you study our recipe and watch a video on how to cook a blue shark.

Blue shark. Myths and reality about the blue shark by Petr de Cril'on

Shark meat has a specific smell and taste, has a high moisture content. And the hardest thing you will have to overcome when you start to cook a blue shark steak is removing the smell and excess moisture from this very blue shark steak. The blue shark smells the least "shark" of all its urine-smelling relatives.

In our recipe, which we offer in this article, we will tell and show in detail how to fillet a blue shark steak, how to remove moisture from it and how to cook it deliciously!

The blue shark steak, which we offer you to cook, is considered by the inhabitants of the Asia-Pacific region to be the most powerful aphrodisiac. And they regularly eat this shark dish. In addition, shark cartilage extract has long been successfully used in the treatment of cancer both abroad and in Russia. And it is constantly criticized, perhaps not without reason.

Blue shark. How to cook Blue Shark Steak. Ingredients

• Blue shark steak, frozen - 300 - 500 gr.
• Lemon - 1 piece.
• Chicken eggs, raw, for batter - 2 pieces.
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp. the spoon.
• Fresh dill greens - 100 grams.
• Refined vegetable oil for frying - 200 - 400 gr..
• Salt, ground black pepper - to taste.
• Breadcrumbs, preferably from Ottogi, Republic of Korea - 5 - 8 tablespoons.
• Flour for breading - 5 - 8 tablespoons.

Blue shark. How to fillet a blue shark video by Petr de Cril'on

Blue shark. How to cook a blue shark steak, how to defrost, cut and process it

1. We choose the blue shark steak as usual. We check the integrity of the vacuum packaging.
2. If the package is transparent, we carefully consider the meat - it should be of a pleasant color, have a thin layer of ice glaze.
3. If the packaging is opaque, pay attention to the date of harvest and the date of packaging.

1. Before cooking a blue shark steak, it must be properly thawed.
2. We open the package and take out the steak. We carefully examine it.
3. The color should be pleasant, light, without rusty streaks.
4. You can sniff. The smell should be pleasant. Reminds me of the smell of sea scallops.
5. The blue shark does not smell like ammonia (urine, in other words).
6. To defrost, we take a deep container with a lid, in which we install a mesh, as in the photo. When defrosting, the moisture from the steak will drip down into the container.
7. Put the blue shark steak on top of the mesh and cover with a lid.
8. And put in the refrigerator for gradual defrosting for 10 - 12 hours.

1. From the thawed shark fillet, carefully scrape off the remnants of ice sludge with a spatula.
2. Change paper towels several times if necessary.

1. Put the blue shark fillet on a paper towel or paper napkins to remove residual moisture.

1. Now we free the fillet of our blue shark from the skin, cutting it off with kitchen scissors along with pieces of red meat.
2. We cut red meat from the fillet because it contains histamine, which can cause an allergic reaction in allergy sufferers.

1. Cartilage is also cut with a serrated knife.

1. Cut the blue shark fillet into pieces about 1.5 cm wide.
2. For this procedure, it is best to use kitchen scissors, since shark meat is viscous, reminiscent of beef in texture.

1. Put the blue shark fillet pieces on a paper towel, as they again released moisture, which must be removed.
2. To speed up the process of draining shark meat, put all the fillet pieces on paper towels folded in several layers and squeeze out excess moisture.
3. Drained pieces of shark fillet lay out in a shallow wide plate in one layer.

Blue shark how to cook. Blue shark steak video by Petr de Cril'on

Blue shark. How to Cook Blue Shark Steak by Petr de Cril'on

1. In order to improve the smell and taste of shark meat, it must first be sprinkled with lemon juice.
2. Then cut the lemon into thin circles and put them in one layer on top of the shark meat.
3. We cover our miracle fish with a lid and set to marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

1. Remove the lemon slices and put the fillet pieces on a colander to drain a little.
2. If necessary, shark fillets can be blotted with paper towels.

1. Now the shark fillet pieces need to be salted and peppered.
2. Instead of salt, fillet pieces can be smeared with soy sauce using a silicone brush.
3. And you can salt the flour, in which we will roll the shark pieces.

1. Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or saucepan and let it boil.
2. Dip each piece of fillet first in flour, then in beaten eggs, then in breadcrumbs.
3. And then put it in the fryer.

1. Deep fryer with shark fillet is placed in boiling oil.
2. We fry our miracle fish shark-karakula until golden brown, stirring gently.

1. Put the finished fillet pieces on a paper towel to remove excess fat.
2. After all our magical culinary manipulations, we can finally taste the most powerful aphrodisiac - blue shark steak french fries according to Petr de Cril'on recipe.

Serving Blue Shark Steak French Fries Recipe and Photo by Petr de Cril'on

• On a beautiful flat dinner plate, lay out the pieces of the finished shark.
• As a side dish, add Korean carrot salad and crispy pickles.
• Pour soy sauce into a deep small salad bowl or gravy bowl. Shark pieces can be dipped into the sauce if they are not salty enough.
• Decorate with a sprig of young dill.
• Bon appetit from Petr de Cril'on, precious friends!

To keep you always up to date with our new fish and seafood video recipes for a sparing protein diet, subscribe to our video channel by clicking on the portrait of the author in midshipman in

Diet: Protein

Diet type: Complete with fat restriction

Servings: 4

Cuisine: Russian sea

Calories: 95

Fats: 10

Proteins: 17

The blue (blue) shark is a member of the large family of gray sharks (Carcharhinidae). It is the only species of the genus Prionace (P. glauca).

It is worth noting that the vast majority of carharinids are a classic type of predatory shark, which is also dangerous for humans.

At the same time, representatives of this family live both in the open ocean and in coastal waters (sometimes, not disdaining and).

The blue shark is one of the most common in the entire Selachian superorder. She prefers the warm waters of the subtropical or temperate zone, however, swimming even to the shores of Northern Norway.

Where does the blue shark live?

The range of this typical pelagic predator occupies most of the World Ocean, including both the equatorial zone and rather cold subarctic seas.

At the same time, the blue shark is not a fan of too warm water. Therefore, in the tropics, it often keeps at a certain depth, however, usually not falling below 150 meters.

Repeated cases of blue sharks being caught at temperatures of 10-15 degrees have been recorded. Similar conditions can exist both at medium depth in the tropical zone and in the upper layers of the northern seas warmed up in summer.

Watch video - Blue shark:

What do blue sharks look like?

The appearance of the blue shark is consistent with its name. Here it is worth considering that in many languages ​​(including English) the same word is used to denote blue and blue (of course, we are not talking about multiple shades now).

Therefore, when translating foreign texts into Russian, this predator quite naturally received two different (and already quite well-established) names: blue and blue.

The back of the shark is painted in a bright blue color, close to ultramarine or indigo. The sides go from dark blue to lighter, and the belly, as usual, shines with almost perfect whiteness.

The blue shark has a long and narrow spindle-shaped body. According to some reports, specimens up to 6 meters in size were caught. However, the accurately recorded record is significantly lower - 3.8 meters.

With its considerable size, this species is much more “harmonious” than other large selachia.

As a result, the weight of blue sharks is relatively small, usually no more than 150-200 kg (and often caught individuals are even lighter - up to one hundred kilograms). Reliably recorded record - about 230 kg.

There is information about a blue shark, allegedly weighing 391 kg.

On the back are two clearly distinguishable fins. The front one is quite large and has an easily recognizable typical "shark" shape. The second is smaller and is much closer to the tail.

The tail assembly is asymmetrical, its upper part is much longer and protrudes far back. The two pectoral fins are long and slightly curved, slightly sickle-shaped.

The snout of the predator is as elongated and narrow as the whole body. In general, many note that the blue shark, due to its elegant and slender torpedo shape and bright ultramarine coloration, is one of the most beautiful representatives of the entire large group of sharks.

How dangerous is the blue shark to humans?

The question of the danger of these predators to humans has not yet been finally resolved. In many sources, you can read that blue sharks are on the list of the most aggressive and bloodthirsty.

However, only a few are available to statistics. Perhaps this is due to the fact that blue sharks usually live in the open sea and rarely approach the coastal zone.

A blue shark attacked a diver while baiting:

It is worth noting here that both the closest relatives and other selakhii, having similar sizes and a similar lifestyle, most often turn out to be very dangerous for humans.

There are other considerations as well. So, according to the beliefs of sailors, these sea wanderers appear as soon as a member of the team dies. Then they follow the ship in order to profit from the body lowered into the water. However, in reality, blue sharks are simply not averse to diluting their daily menu with galley ship waste.

The most common food of these classic pelagic predators is schooling fish (mackerel, herring, sardine, etc.) and cephalopods (cuttlefish, squid). However, as we have already noted, they do not disdain garbage.

However, it is still worth recognizing that all such considerations are nothing more than suspicions.

True, we can say that for sure blue sharks take part in the bloody feasts that come after shipwrecks with a large number of victims. But, again, there is no direct evidence in this case either. So we have the right to consider the blue shark as one of the potentially, but - not forgetting that the statistics on this matter are actually silent.

The commercial value of the blue shark

It is worth considering that the range of Prionace glauca includes fairly populated and "civilized" places. So, among the favorite places where these sharks produce offspring are the Adriatic and the waters near the UK.

At the same time, adult males usually roam separately from pregnant females and young animals (obviously, this is due to the tendency of these predators to).

So, despite the frequent appearance of blue sharks in rather "tourist" places, there are practically no reports of their attacks on vacationers. At the same time, these beautiful inhabitants of the sea represent one of the targets.

They have blue sharks and a certain commercial value. They have quite tasty, which has received considerable distribution in the cuisines of the Far East.

The Japanese carry out their massive industrial fishing today. In addition, blue sharks are often caught on fishing longlines (for example, to catch tuna).

As a result of a significant catch, the population of these predators has significantly decreased. Today, international actions are being taken to protect them. Many countries have adopted regulations requiring the release of individuals weighing less than a certain weight (for example, 100 pounds - just over 45 kg).

So let's hope that in the future these beautiful inhabitants of the ocean are not threatened with extinction.